Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tanko Sununu, has suggested that Nigerian Sign Language (NSL) be adopted as the second national official language outside English.

The Minister made the suggestion at the first Africa Regional Conference on Equal Opportunity of Access to Higher Education in Nigeria on the theme “Advancing the Potentials of Persons with Disabilities (PWD) in Educational and Economic Development” organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), in Abuja, on Tuesday.

The Minister was optimistic that such move will signal a major demonstration of empathy for the large number of Nigerians with hearing impairments.

He was, however, unhappy that the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in accessing both education and economic opportunities have persisted despite significant efforts to create equal access and opportunities for learning and employment.

He said: “The focus of the conference extends beyond access to higher education and encompasses the economic empowerment that stems from education. For persons with disabilities, the impediments to education are not only compounded by general societal stigmas but also by physical limitations and institutional challenges.

“But as we have seen in various contexts, when these barriers are removed and the right conditions are created, the potential within every individual blossoms. The briliance, creativity and resilience demonstrated by persons with disabilities enrich our educational institutions and more broadly, our economies.

“It is the collective responsibility of governments, academic institutions, the private sector, and civil society to ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind. In the spirit of this year’s theme, we must highlight critical points that we must focus on to advance the potentials of PWDs in education and economic development.”

He thus challenged the participants, local and international, to come up with solutions, strategies, and policies that will guide the policy makers in creating a more inclusive and equitable future for Africa. “I look forward to receiving the communique and recommendations to complement the on-going Federal Government efforts.”

Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, in his remarks, said the conference was a significant opportunity for JAMB and various stakeholders within the education sector to gather vital insights on advancing inclusive education.

He insisted that education remains the cornerstone of self-actualisation, and it requires collective responsibility to ensure that every individual, regardless of ability, has access to higher education, stressing that JAMB is dedicated to fostering fora that facilitate discussions on innovative strategies to enhance educational opportunities for all citizens, particularly those with disabilities.

He said that Prof. Peter Okebukola-led JAMB Equal Opportunity Group (JEOG) has been exemplary in providing essential support for candidates with disabilities during and after the UTME.

Prof. Oloyede said the JEOG, has in the past one year produced the strategic roadmap for inclusive access to quality higher education in Nigeria; research monograph series which includes experts’ reflections on the quality of test papers administered to the candidates for the 2024 UTME; and blind candidates’ perspectives on the support environment provided by JAMB for the 2024 UTME; among several other innovations.

He added: “It’s in this context that I reiterate that the mandate of JEOG transcends routine arrangement of facilities and current procedure of examining the candidates with special needs. It includes identification and sourcing of appropriate, and advanced assistive technology to facilitate the admission, retention, success and career development of persons with disabilities.

“For example, smart phones have been enabled to convert text to speech. This can be used with headphones to relay test items to the visually impaired. The big task left is to provide enough materials for local accent for the speech.

“Debrailling has also been introduced to facilitate written communication from the visually impaired and instantly transfer text to braille for them. Signpreters have also been invented to instantly convert speech to sign language for the hearing impaired and sign language to text and speech for the attention of the examiners or lecturers.

“Eye-gaze typing for the paralysed was recently exhibited in South Africa whereby eyelids control the keyboard. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has also opened a vast ground of assistive technology for persons with disabilities. The thrust of the efforts is to prove that no candidate is uneducable, therefore none is not immensurable through educational assessment.”

Chairman of JEOG, Prof. Peter Okebukola, in his remarks, appreciated JAMB and other officials of the Federal Ministry of Education for providing the empowerment opportunity for the people with disabilities.

He stated the every individual is endowed with great potential irrespective of health status, hence equal alopportunity should be provided for all persons to acquire education that could enhance opportunities for economic empowerment.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, who was represented by the House Leader, Hon Julius Ihonvbere, assured JAMB that the lawmakers are committed to any cause that will improve the welfare and well-being of Nigerians especially people with disabilities.

He promised that the National Assembly will not hesitate to expedite action on legislations that would consolidate efforts of JAMB to improve the educational fortune of the people with disabilities.